Rocket City Half: Fajardo Strnad dominates M25-29 in frigid Huntsville

• Roberto Fajardo Strnad won the M25-29 age group in 1:12:57 (5:34/mi) — the fastest man in the entire men's field from the gun to the finish line.
• Rand Cochrane took 2nd in 1:17:51 (5:56/mi), nearly five minutes back — a comfortable runner-up but well clear of the rest.
• Alex Baty (3rd, 1:24:34) and Joseph Angelillo (4th, 1:25:46) were separated by just 1:12, with Hayden Maples (5th, 1:26:24) close behind to round out a tight battle for the final podium spots.
• Places 7–9 were a genuine cluster: Jason Westmoreland (7th, 1:31:21), Gabe Simpson (8th, 1:31:34), and Matisse Miller (9th, 1:31:37) — 16 seconds covering all three across 13.1 miles in 29°F cold.

With 29°F temperatures, a 16 mph wind, and clear Huntsville skies, this was a morning that rewarded the bold — and Roberto Fajardo Strnad of Ooltewah, TN was the boldest man out there. He led the men's field from start to finish, never relinquishing his position, and backed it up with the 2nd-fastest split of any runner in the second half of the course (6.8M to Finish). At 5:34/mi for 13.1 miles in those conditions, it wasn't just a win — it was a statement.

Rand Cochrane (Winston Salem, NC) was the clear second voice in this age group, running 5:56/mi to finish in 1:17:51. That's a meaningful gap to Fajardo Strnad, but Cochrane was moving well in the back half too, posting the 8th-fastest split among the men on the 6.8M-to-Finish segment — enough to hold off any late challengers and secure 2nd comfortably.

The race for the rest of the podium had real drama. Alex Baty (Hoover, AL) ran the 14th-fastest men's closing split to climb from 19th to 16th in the men's field, finishing 3rd in the age group at 1:24:34. Angelillo (4th, 1:25:46) held steady at 20th in the men's field across both halves, while Hayden Maples (5th, 1:26:24) actually faded slightly — dropping from 16th to 22nd among men on the back half — leaving just enough room for the chasing pack to breathe.

Further back, the race produced one of the tightest three-way finishes of the day: Westmoreland, Simpson, and Miller crossed 7th, 8th, and 9th within 16 seconds of each other, all clocking right around 6:59/mi. In a 99-man age group on a bitter December morning, that kind of racing is worth savoring.